Straw spreader



1,625,353 Apnl 19, 1927. T. DUGAN STRAW SPREADER Filed April 20. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .fz i .f ff

ATTORNEY. l

192 A 1625 353 April 19., 7 T. DUGAN f sTRAw SPREADER Fild April 20. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7/70/7/75 00a/wv,

A TTORNE Y.

connecte Patented Apr. 19, l1,927.

UNITED STATES THOMAS DUGI'AN, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS, ASSIGNQR T0 J. I. CASE THRESHING MACHINE A 1,625,353 PATENT OFFICE.

-cOII-PANY, or RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION.

sTaAw SPREADER.

Applicationmea April ao, 1925. serial No, 24,437.

In the operation of combination harvesterthreshers the straw ldischarging from the thresher element of the machine as it moves through the grain field falls in such nnev'en masses as not to be in suitable condition for plowing under the soil, and therefore it 1s desirable to provide means for intercepting the falling straw and scattering and spreading it over the soil in 'substantially uniform condition. This I accomplish by my 1mproved straw spreader, comprising .means whereby it may be readily attached to threshers .of different widths, projected and retracted tol predetermined distances .from the machine, and swung to one side thereof when access to the interior of the thresher is required, all as will now be more particularly described.

In the accompanyin drawings forming part hereof, Figure 1 1s a plan of my im; proved strawspreader attached to the rear end of a'thresher; Fig. 2 a perspective O the framework; Fig. 3 va. side elevation; Fig. 4 a perspective of the fan which I employ; Fig. 5 -a perspective-of an adjustable guard forming part of the spreader,-and Figs. 6 and 7 plan views of modified forms of adjustable frames embodying the principle of my invention.

vIn said drawings ,the portions marked 5 indicate a thresher to whichmy improved spreader is attached bybrackets, 6, or otherwise. Said' spreader comprises supporting members 7, 8, one of which, as 7, is hingedly d to bracket 6 by a pintle, 9, and the member 8 is secured by a removable pin, 10. Said members' are preferably vformed of angle--iron upon which is supported the side bars, 12, the latter provided with slots, v

.13,.and connected to the members7,8, by bolts, 14, and said members and bars may be held in spaced relation by rollers or'washers,

15. By the slotted connections described it,

will be'apparent that the side bars 12 can be projected and retracted in relation to the thresher and secured in adjusted positions.

The lower webs, 16, of side bars 12 are provided with slots, 17, and are adjustably secured to the supporting members by bolts, 18. Said side bars 12 at their outer ends. are connected to a. frame, 20, preferably trussed,'the ends of which are slotted, at 21, for the reception of bolts, 22, by which arrangement of slotted coxnections I am enabled to vary the width of the spreader to .accommodate .it to machines of -different widths, and by employingl the rollers 15 or other spacing devices a stable relation 1s maintained between said side bars and their supporting members.

'Upon said frame 20 I support a shaft, 24,

'provided witha pulle 25, and mount -a rotatable fan or sprea er at the upper end of said shaft. I Said fan comprises a dlsk, 27, cone-shaped or otherwise, provided4 with comparatively broad blades, 28, and is ro'- appropriate driving power for the fan may be employed.

Said fan or spreader is partially encircled i by a guard, 35, which is adjustablymounted c upon the spreader frameiin any desired manner, that illustrated comprising the standards, 36, embodyingaslot, 37 in which saidguard may be litted and shifted to the Ileft or right, the latter adjustmentfbeing indi-- In this 130 cated by dotted lines .in Fig. l. simple manner said guard may be adjusted to control the spreading of straw at either side of the path of the moving machinery and which can be readily accomplished durv, V 35 ing ield operations.

It will thus be seen that under conditions where the strafw discharging from the thresher does j not` fall within the proper range in relation to the rotating fan for themost effective distributionf'I amenabled to adjust said fan and its guard accordingly by projecting or retracting the sprea er, that I am enabled by the simple adjustment described to apply the spreader frame to dif- :ferent sized machines, and also to swing the spreader as a whole to .one side of the machine when access is required to the interior thereof. Being thus subjected to various adjustments which may aliect the-rope connection about thepulley describedIfproVide a the side bar arrangements, which accomplish' 100 belttighten'er for controlling theI take-up 'i the same result as described, the horizontal web of support 7 being wider (Fig. 6) to provide a greater range of movement of said side bars l2; and-it will be understood that as said side bars 12 are pivoted to frame member ,20 and pivotally attached to brackets 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 said side bars may be adjusted to machines of varying Widths, as indicated in Fig. 7. f

I claim as myinvention: n

1. A strawspreader for a threshing ma chine, comprising a frame, a distributing fan thereon, pivotal means connecting one side of said frame to' said machine, and remov able means connecting the opposite sideof said frame to said machine to permit said Leeaaaa spreader to be swung alongside said machine for obtaining, access -to the interior of the Y a; distributing fan on said cross-member,

means for actuating thefan, and a hinge connecting one side of the spreader to the machine to permit the spreader to be swung alongside the machine for obtaining access to the interior of the 1atter.

' In testimony whereof I aix my signature. THOMAS DUGAN, 

